Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain requested Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday to increase the number of ration beneficiaries under National Food Security Act, 2013 from the present ceiling of 72.78 lakh to 80 lakh for Delhi.
Currently, the ceiling for Delhi is 72,77,995 beneficiaries under the National Food Security law on the basis of census figures of 2011, on the recommendation of Planning Commission (NITI Ayog).
During the meeting Hussain briefed Paswan that the said targeted figure has already been achieved in September, 2015 and that the Delhi Government is not able to provide benefits of making available cheap food grains to all the targeted sections of society.
Hussain said Delhi being the National Capital receives a lot of migratory population from UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, MP, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa etc and majority of such population being poor becomes eligible for the benefits under Food Security law.
“It is the desire of Delhi Government that the benefits of subsidised food grains be extended to all the eligible persons,” he said. He emphasised that given these circumstances, the Delhi Government is in pressing need for enhancement of targeted figure of the beneficiaries under Food Security law.